Mark D Macek1, Kathryn A Atchison2, Maria Rosa Watson3, Jennifer Holtzman2, William Wells4, Bonnie Braun5, Linda Aldoory5, Diana Messadi6, Melanie Gironda7, Don Haynes4, Ruth M Parker8, Haiyan Chen1, Susan Coller1, Jessica Richards2. 1. Department of Dental Public Health, School of Dentistry, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA. 2. Division of Public Health and Community Dentistry, School of Dentistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA. 3. Primary Care Coalition of Montgomery County, MD, USA. 4. Schaefer Center for Public Policy, University of Baltimore, Baltimore, MD, USA. 5. School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA. 6. Section of Oral Medicine & Orofacial Pain, School of Dentistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA. 7. Department of Family Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA. 8. Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To introduce a multi-site assessment of oral health literacy and to describe preliminary analyses of the relationships between health literacy and selected oral health outcomes within the context of a comprehensive conceptual model. METHODS: Data for this analysis came from the Multi-Site Oral Health Literacy Research Study (MOHLRS), a federally funded investigation of health literacy and oral health. MOHLRS consisted of a broad survey, including several health literacy assessments, and measures of attitudes, knowledge, and other factors. The survey was administered to 922 initial care-seeking adult patients presenting to university-based dental clinics in California and Maryland. For this descriptive analysis, confidence filling out forms, word recognition, and reading comprehension comprised the health literacy assessments. Dental visits, oral health functioning, and dental self-efficacy were the outcomes. RESULTS: Overall, up to 21% of participants reported having difficulties with practical health literacy tasks. After controlling for sociodemographic confounders, no health literacy assessment was associated with dental visits or dental caries self-efficacy. However, confidence filling out forms and word recognition were each associated with oral health functioning and periodontal disease self-efficacy. CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis showed that dental school patients exhibit a range of health literacy abilities. It also revealed that the relationship between health literacy and oral health is not straightforward, depending on patient characteristics and the unique circumstances of the encounter. We anticipate future analyses of MOHLRS data will answer questions about the role that health literacy and various mediating factors play in explaining oral health disparities.
OBJECTIVES: To introduce a multi-site assessment of oral health literacy and to describe preliminary analyses of the relationships between health literacy and selected oral health outcomes within the context of a comprehensive conceptual model. METHODS: Data for this analysis came from the Multi-Site Oral Health Literacy Research Study (MOHLRS), a federally funded investigation of health literacy and oral health. MOHLRS consisted of a broad survey, including several health literacy assessments, and measures of attitudes, knowledge, and other factors. The survey was administered to 922 initial care-seeking adult patients presenting to university-based dental clinics in California and Maryland. For this descriptive analysis, confidence filling out forms, word recognition, and reading comprehension comprised the health literacy assessments. Dental visits, oral health functioning, and dental self-efficacy were the outcomes. RESULTS: Overall, up to 21% of participants reported having difficulties with practical health literacy tasks. After controlling for sociodemographic confounders, no health literacy assessment was associated with dental visits or dental caries self-efficacy. However, confidence filling out forms and word recognition were each associated with oral health functioning and periodontal disease self-efficacy. CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis showed that dental school patients exhibit a range of health literacy abilities. It also revealed that the relationship between health literacy and oral health is not straightforward, depending on patient characteristics and the unique circumstances of the encounter. We anticipate future analyses of MOHLRS data will answer questions about the role that health literacy and various mediating factors play in explaining oral health disparities.
Authors: Kristine Sørensen; Stephan Van den Broucke; James Fullam; Gerardine Doyle; Jürgen Pelikan; Zofia Slonska; Helmut Brand Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2012-01-25 Impact factor: 3.295
Authors: Nancy D Berkman; Stacey L Sheridan; Katrina E Donahue; David J Halpern; Karen Crotty Journal: Ann Intern Med Date: 2011-07-19 Impact factor: 25.391
Authors: Lisa D Chew; Joan M Griffin; Melissa R Partin; Siamak Noorbaloochi; Joseph P Grill; Annamay Snyder; Katharine A Bradley; Sean M Nugent; Alisha D Baines; Michelle Vanryn Journal: J Gen Intern Med Date: 2008-03-12 Impact factor: 5.128
Authors: Mark D Macek; Kathryn A Atchison; William Wells; Don Haynes; Ruth M Parker; Haiyan Chen Journal: J Public Health Dent Date: 2017-01-12 Impact factor: 1.821
Authors: Mark D Macek; Kathryn A Atchison; Haiyan Chen; William Wells; Don Haynes; Ruth M Parker; Shurouk Azzo Journal: Community Dent Oral Epidemiol Date: 2017-03-07 Impact factor: 3.383
Authors: Angela G Brega; Luohua Jiang; Rachel L Johnson; Anne R Wilson; Sarah J Schmiege; Judith Albino Journal: J Racial Ethn Health Disparities Date: 2020-05-08